Gun mount



June 16, 1931. H. c. ZIMMERMAN 1,810,001

GUN MOUNT 4 Filed April 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '1 I N Zlwwwwtoz l H ar ry [I Zimme rman J1me 1931- H. c. ZIMMERMAN 1,810,001

GUNMOUNT Filed April 20,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry E Zimmerman Patented June 1% 1.9 31

lh lt ttl HARRY G. amal am, 0F WASHINGTUN, DI$TRICT 0F CQLUMBIA sun m'onnzr Application filed; April 20, 1929. Serial No. 358,725.

(GRANTED UNDER THEAC'E 0F MAE-C11 3, 1883, AS AMENDED AERIL 30, 1923; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty-thereon.

e The subject of this invention is a gun mount.

In the mounting of guns the positioning of the trunnions as low as possible tosecure stability and as far to the rear as possible to permit high angle firing with maximum ground clearance results in a disposition of the training mechanisms and the sighting appurtenances which is not conducive to the usual overhead arrangement of the equilibrators.

The gun mount of the present invention is characterized by a simple equilibrating mechanism which is positioned directly underneath the cradle in such a manner that the offective length of the lever arm is increased upon reduction of the pressure.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in thenovel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understoodthat changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made Within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the lnvention.

A'practical embodiment of the invention 1s illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein: i Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, parts being shown in section of the improved gun mount in position of zero elevation; a

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation showing the disposition of the equllibrator with the gun in maximum elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly 1n longi-. tudinal section of the equihbrator..

Fig. 4c is a sectional view on the lme 3-3 of Fig. at.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

The mount comprises a carriage including Wheels 5, axle 6, split trails 7 and undercarriage 8 in which is a pmtle 9, prvotmg a top carriage 10. A cradle 11 mountmg a reciprocable gun barrel 12 1s trunmoned at 13 cradle.

1 the trunnions to provide a gradually increasin the top carriage at a point which is a considerable distance to the rear of the center of gravity of the tipping parts and only a slight distance above the horizontal plane passing through the axle so that the gun possesses as low mounting as practicable. The elevating mechanism for the cradle consists of a segmental gearl t engageable by a pinion 15 on a shaft 16 extending transversely of the The equilibrating mechanism is arranged underneath the rear portion of the cradle and comprises a plunger rod 17 pivoted to the rear extremity of the cradle and working in a guide frame 18 pivoted at 18a to a relatively fixed part of the mount, in the present instance the top carriage 10, at a point forwardly of the trunnions and directly in rear of the axle. The guide frame 18 consists of three equidistantly spaced rods 19 connected to the bearing block 20 by nuts 21 and at their free and carrying a spring seat 22 confined by nuts 23 The plunger rod which passes through an aperture 24; in the seat 22 likewise carries a 7% spring" seat 25 which is slidable-on the guide rods. Compression springs 26-26-embracing the plunger rod and confined between the seats 22 and 25 normally tend to telescope the units of the equilibrator and counter-balance the tipping parts. i

When the gun is moved to its position of maximum elevation, as seen in Fig. 2, the springs will be extended and the spring seat 25 carried by the plunger rod 17 will be arrested by the bearing block 20. The point of attachment of the equilibrator to the fixed part of the mount is selected with relation to ing lever arm so that the moment of the tipping parts upon elevation will be balanced by the moment of the equilibrator.

I claim:

- 1. In a gun mount a wheeled axle unit, a' top carriage carried thereby, a cradle trunnioned in the top carriage in rear of its center of gravity, an equilibrator connected to the rear extremity of the cradle and to the topcarriage below the cradle, and substan- 0 2 eeeoor tielly in the horizontal plane through the axle.

2. in a gun mount a support rotatable on a Vertical axis, a cradle trunnioned therein in rear of its center of gravity, an equilibrator connected to the cradle in rear of the trimnions and to the support forwardly of and below the trunnions and the point of attachment to the support being in rear of the vertical axis of the support.

HARRY G. RMAN. 

